– More pests were dealt with in Wales per person than in any other country in the UK last year, according to the British Pest Control Association (BPCA). Welsh local authorities treated pests nearly 50,000 times – rats alone caused 27,198 problems. One of the more unusual problems was an infestation of tarantula-type spiders in a child’s bedroom in Aberdare. Wales had three times more call-outs for rats than Scotland and 11 times more than Northern Ireland.